45 Beech Street submitted for planning 27.02.24

A planning application for a co-living development at 45 Beech Street for developer HUB and Bridges Fund Management, a sustainable impact investor, has been submitted to the City of London.

AHMM’s proposals transform a 1950s office building into a community-focused residential scheme that responds sensitively and creatively to the context of the iconic Barbican Estate, delivering 174 co-living homes as well as new public realm, a ground-floor commercial space and on-site resident amenities.

The development would set a new standard in this part of London for co-living, a rapidly evolving typology that can deliver numerous benefits both to residents and to people who live and work nearby, thanks to public realm improvements and a range of shared amenities that connect the scheme to its community.

In line with HUB and Bridges’ shared focus on minimising carbon emissions, the proposed scheme would take a retrofit-first approach. The total embodied carbon saving of retrofitting the existing building is 34%, relative to comparable new build schemes of the same scale. The scheme would also target market-leading sustainability credentials: BREEAM Excellent, EPC A, Fitwel 3* and net zero operational carbon.

The scheme was developed in close collaboration with the local community and key neighbourhood stakeholders. The consultation process involved a series of stakeholder workshops, consultation events and outreach to Barbican residents as well as local businesses.